Help Me Move On
by BlueFireIce
Summary: It's Naru's birthday and he isn't too keen on celebrating now that his twin isn't there to celebrate it with him but Mai has another idea instead.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt or its characters**

_A/N: The song in this story is "To Build a Home" By The Cinematic Orchestra_

His eyes were glazed over as his cheek rested on his hand. The door to his office was shut and he had gotten nothing done since yesterday. Today was not a good day for him. It not only was the reminder to Naru of the fact he was indeed aging but mostly it was a reminder that his brother was not there aging with him. It wasn't a day he felt like celebrating now that Gene's remains had been found.

When he had gone back to England, his parents were hesitant on celebrating his birthday the first year but, the second year, when they threw him a surprise party he threw a Naru-esque fit. Mostly, when "surprise" was yelled, he turned right around and left the house for the whole day. Poor Lin was left to explain to Naru's parents that they had done nothing wrong but that he was still grieving.

Now that he was back in Japan, he had told no one of when his birthday was and he specifically told Lin to both keep his mouth shut and to not celebrate it at all. Naru was not inclined to be reminded of his brother not being there. So Lin agreed, making no fuss over the request but stating that he shouldn't be unhappy if his parents decided to give him a call. Naru said he would put on a happy face for them to make up for last year.

_There is a house built out of stone_

_Wooden floors, walls and window sills…_

_Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust_

_This is a place where I don't feel alone_

_This is a place where I feel at home_

Naru let out a small sigh but turned his head a bit when he heard the door to the office open and shut. The footsteps were distinctive to his assistant, Taniyama Mai. He could hear her shuffling about as she juggled holding her purse and taking off her coat at the same time. Once she was done with that, the young man knew she would head toward her desk to place her purse down. Then, without him needing to ask, she would go and start some tea for him.

They had created a routine after he came back. She was still a bit upset at him for his words (of which he could not blame her for) but she was still kind to him and was trying to mend what she felt she had broken. So she started making him tea before he got the chance to ask for it. After a couple of months of not having to call for tea as soon as she walked in, he had come to expect that she would place it on his desk soon after her arrival instead. And sure enough, he heard her move into the kitchenette they had in the office.

Shaking his head slightly Naru looked at his dark computer screen, noticing his reflection and closing the lid. He really wasn't keen on seeing himself in the mirror either. It would only remind the twin of his dead brother, which was something he had been desperately trying to avoid thinking about unless he absolutely had to.

_And I built a home_

_For you_

_For me_

_Until you disappeared_

_From me_

_From you_

_And now it's time to leave and turn to dust_

There was a light knock at the young man's office door and he gave a quiet command for the young woman to come in. She came balancing the cups on a tray. Her brunette hair bobbed as she walked and when she met his eyes she gave him a heartwarming smile. But today that smile wasn't going to ease the ice that surrounded his heart. She placed the teacup near him and then headed for Lin's office across the hall.

But Mai was quickly forgotten as memories of his brother filled his head. They came to find that after his brother was given a proper burial he had finally passed on and Mai didn't see him in her dreams after that. But Naru did. Every night he would go to sleep to a world where his brother was still alive beside him. While Gene was a spirit guide to Mai, he was an emotional guide for Naru. Without him the young doctor felt lost and confused most of the time with other people.

_Out in the garden where we planted the seeds_

_There is a tree as old as me_

_Branches were sewn by the color of green_

_Ground had arose and passed its knees_

Naru's personal cell phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID to see it was his mother calling him. He gave a deep sigh and then, plastering on a small smile, he picked up the phone and greeted his mother. The black haired teen felt awful about how he acted the last year as he listened to his mother quietly and hesitantly wish him a happy birthday. He responded properly and thanked her for the wishes. It seemed to brighten her mood immensely when he accepted the wishes.

Then he listened to his father and talked to him as well. It wasn't quite as emotional but the worry and then relief at wishing him a happy birthday occurred with his father too. Naru was now wishing Lin had smacked him upside the head last year for how poorly he acted when his parents had been grieving too and were trying to move past. But once the phone call ended, the doctor couldn't have felt more relieved.

_By the cracks of his skin I climbed to the top_

_I climbed the tree to see the world_

_When the gusts came around to blow me down_

_Held on as tightly as you held onto me_

_Held on as tightly as you held onto me_

Naru picked up his cup of tea and took a sip. It had a hint of honey in it that made it taste just perfect. But when he went to set the cup down he noticed a folded note that was underneath it. He set his cup to the side and curiously picked up the note. It was just regular notebook paper and it had been folded over four times. His lips quirked at the words that were hidden inside.

_Happy Birthday Naru! Don't worry, Lin didn't tell me your birthday secret. I did a little researching on dear old Oliver Davis and figured it out on my own. But I figure you don't want a huge party, so I'll keep quiet. Don't be so glum though. I've gotten you a present!_

_Sincerely,_

_Taniyama Mai_

He really wasn't surprised that his assistant figured out his birthday. Anyone who knew his real name could very easily figure out his birthday. And the gesture, while not fully wanted, was nice none the less. Also the fact she didn't tell everyone she knew about it was good too. It was a gesture the young psychic researcher could handle in regards to his birthday.

_And I built a home_

_For you_

_For me_

_Until you disappeared_

_From me_

_From you_

_And now it's time to leave and turn to dust_

The door to his office clicked open and quickly Mai flicked his light switch off. There was a small thing in her hands that was attached to a candle, now the only source of light in the office. She shut the door behind her and brought over a small chocolate icing covered cake. It looked to be made for two or three people to eat and it had one candle stabbed right into the middle. The candle, to his amusement, was black.

The narcissistic boss had to bite back the huge grin that wanted to fill his face when his assistant started to quietly sing happy birthday to him. As soon as she finished the song, he blew out the candle, his wish clearly in his mind. _Help me move on._ Soon he heard a small crash and heard quiet cursing from Mai. He stood to help the poor girl, chuckling under his breath at her clumsiness.

He flicked on the light to find she had bumped into his client chair and which made the chair bump into his desk. She was rubbing her hip, the part that hit the chair, and rubbing her knee, the part that hit the floor. Strangely enough, seeing her being normal on his dreary day brightened it just a bit. Naru went over and gently helped Mai from the floor.

After thanking him, she opened the door to his office and went over to her desk to retrieve his gift. She brought it back into his office and shut the door again, hiding the quiet ceremony from Lin, trying not to offend the man. The gift was in a lovely mahogany box that had, in Kanji and made with mother of pearl, his nickname, 'Naru', across the lid of the box.

Inside was a small book with a black leather cover. Carved onto the cover was 'Gene and Noll'. He opened the book to find it was a scrapbook that Mai had put together herself. It had pictures of Gene and him together along with solo pictures of them. He quietly and slowly flipped through the short book until he got to the last page. Instead of pictures, Mai's handwriting filled it.

_Dear Noll,_

_This is Gene, speaking through Mai, for the last time; her and I have already said our goodbyes. This is my goodbye to you. You will always be my best friend. All of the times we went through were the best times of my life. I don't regret any decisions I made. I have come to peace with my death. I hope in time you will be able to do the same. I know we never had heartfelt discussions quite like this but I think that this one is an okay one to have. Please do not grieve over me forever. I will be fine and so will you. Don't let my death become your death as well. You are my brother and my best friend and I love you. Don't let all you have ever done go to waste because of me. If you do, I am going to be incredibly pissed the next time I see you. _

_With a final (but not permanent) goodbye,_

_Eugene Davis_

Naru read the words multiple times before finally looking up at Mai. She gave a weak smile in his direction and her eyes had tears in them. He looked back through the book once more, staring at some pictures much longer than others. Finally he got to the words again and read them once more before shutting the book.

"How did you get those pictures?" He finally asked her, trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing.

"Your parents. When I told them my idea for your birthday present, they loved it." The young brunette smiled fondly at the memory.

"How long did this take you to make?" His voice was quiet when he asked the question.

"Well, I got the box for it three months ago but the album took three years." Mai looked away sheepishly as Naru's eyes widened in astonishment. She had started this gift for him before he decided he would leave Japan. And she continued to work on it while he was gone.

"What would you have done had I not come back to Japan?"

"I would have mailed it to you. It was something I really wanted you to have. I only finished the album last night. I was actually worried I wouldn't get it done in time for your birthday." Mai then placed a hand on Naru's arm and smiled empathetically at him. "He wanted you to know those words. No matter what kind of fight we may have had, I wasn't going to keep Gene's last words from you."

"Thank you." Was Naru's quiet reply.

"You're welcome." Mai's smile seemed to brighten the room considerably. "Now, I think I am going to cut a piece of that red velvet cake for me, you, and Lin."

"How did you know red velvet was my favorite?" Naru walked over to his desk and sat down while Mai cut a piece of cake off and placed it on a small place with a fork. Then she gave him a sly smile.

"Your parents." Then she grabbed the other two pieces of cake and started to head out of his office. But before she shut the door, his assistant paused and waited a moment before turning and meeting his gaze.

"It's okay to remember him sometimes." Then she shut his office door and he just stared after her, wondering if she knew how truly thankful he was for her gift.

_This is a place where I don't feel alone_

_This is a place where I at home._


End file.
